1000 Years: One Shots (Part 2)
by Yemi Hikari
Summary: I decided to break up the collection of theoretical one-shots involving the final arc of Bleach into more then one part.
1. 1: Untitled

_Disclaimer – I don't own Bleach._

_I decided to break 1000 Years: One Shots into two parts. One of the reasons for doing this is because there was a period of time when I was trying to write stand alone one-shots, but many of them ended up getting put onto the back burner. The second reason comes from the fact this arc has taken a dark turn. The third reason is there has been some nice reveals about Ichigo's mother and Uryu's father. Forth... I'm frustrated with the scanlations for Bleach and have reason not to trust them. More on that later. Rating may or may not go up from T to M again._

**Title: **Untitled  
**Genre: **Angst, Family, Drama  
**Characters: **Bambietta, Toshiro, Rangiku, Momo, Gremmy  
**Summary: **Toshiro thinks he is a clone of Gremmy...  
**Notes: **The date for this one is 5/19/2014. (Yeah... a couple of months since I started this one.) It is untitled because I hadn't thought of a title for it as I was writing the one-shot. This was also written when Bambietta being alive was still in the air. (If you ask my brother its still up in the air as he doesn't trust the translations due to his knowledge of the zombie genre.)

Every time he closed his lips as he tried telling Rangiku that he was coming to help her, he felt a fuzzy tingling sensation. The thoughts in his head also felt fuzzy as he tried to continue to focus on the task he had set his mind to despite the fact his rieatsu was tanking. As he tried to move towards her, he found that his sense of smell was over taking his other senses. His nostrils were filled with the smell of burnt flesh and a touch of ice. Everything went out of focus and he felt the sensation of falling.

The next sensation he was aware of was that something was surrounding his face. The object wasn't a cloth. Not only did it not actually cover his mouth, the object wasn't soft and he couldn't smell the any chemical used for knocking someone out. His mind didn't stop and think about how if he could smell that kind of smell he wouldn't actually be conscious, nor did it notice that the smell of burnt flesh and a touch of ice was gone. Exterior wise he couldn't feel outside the ring that surrounded his mouth.

Toshiro tried to move his fingers then, but felt no sensation of moving. His eyes blinked pen, and he tried taking a deep breath. Exhaustion caused him to close his eyes quickly, but he forced himself to open them again. Through the haze as he blinked he first saw that he was in a glass cylinder. He then saw the man with the leopard spots on his skin, and another man that looked like he was a part of a biker gang. Both were dressed in the Quincy uniform and he could feel their rieatsu through the glass.

He blinked a couple of times more and behind them he could see a young man who looked to be not much older then him physically. Blinking a couple of times he could see the smug look on the boy's face as he looked at him, an obvious prisoner. "_Perhaps though, there is something more to this._" His eyes closed and he began to drift away again, but not before he heard the words "_his clone_" and _"not perfect"._

He then found himself on a plain of ice, sitting on the ground, his limbs limp. The only thing that could move was his mouth and at first he couldn't speak. His mind drifted in and out of focus as he thought about the third rieatsu that he had felt. "_What did they mean by 'his clone' and 'not perfect'_?" Hyorinmaru didn't answer and finally he found himself able to tip his head up to look at the dragon who remained silent. "Hyorinmaru?"

"Oi... we haven't been talking for a long time, and now you're silent."

"It is nothing."

"Nothing? I mean... I sensed." Toshiro paused. "_What did I sense?_" The boy shook his head lightly, looking at the ground. "Do you know what they meant by 'his clone' and 'not perfect'?" Silence came his way and then something clicked. "That boy's rieatsu..." His head snapped up. "Hyorinmaru!" The dragon didn't respond. "Hyorinmaru..." His head then hung down and his hands in the spiritual plane somehow managed to reach up to his mouth as he held back the urge to puke. Eventually he calmed and he lowered his hands to his lap. "Please tell me the truth."

"The truth is something that will hurt you."

"You mean me finding out that I am an imperfect clone of a Quincy! Hyorinmaru!" The boy looked up at the dragon in desperation. Eventually though he had to hang his head. Eventually he began to come to again. He found himself looking around, this time down. He flinched upon seeing that his body was almost naked, but paused upon seeing that the burns were gone. He found himself shaking and wishing to leave that place, his hands darting out to touch the pane, only to find his shoulder area firmly gripped in something.

He then noticed the Quincy who had given him the burns in the first place was standing outside of the tube with the man with the leopard spots. Toshiro's eyes widened, and the corners of his mouth turned down as he felt his heart pound in his throat. Bazz-B looked at the boy with his hands placed into his pockets. "The Shinigami managed to capture Gremmy's brain."

"It doesn't matter." The other man smiled at Toshiro. "I have the original. I can make more clones."

"The original?"

Toshiro suddenly began to struggle on reflex, his legs kicking out at the glass causing the two to notice he was awake. "_So my lower parts are free..._"

"_You're not thinking straight."_

Suddenly what had been covering his mouth came off and water rushed into his lungs, causing him to black out. He came to again and noticed it had been placed back. "_I'm stuck here. I mean..._" The boy stopped short, his hands reaching up to touch the glass at what he saw, barely brushing it due to the shoulder restraints. "_Kurosaki!_"

Then came the smashing of the glass causing the restraints around his shoulder to release and the mask to come off as well. Water still got into his nose and mouth and he felt himself coughing and spluttering. Something wrapped around his shoulders that was dry and he realized it was the wrap he had seen around Ichigo's shoulders. The physically older boy stooped down and lifted him up so that he was held to Ichigo's side, looking back. His hand's reached up to hold on.

A voice from another room came. "Ichigo... we're still not finding my taicho!"

Toshiro's head perked up. "Matsumoto... she's all right."

The busty woman hurried in then and he found himself roughly taken from Ichigo and scooped into her arms as she held onto him. "Come on Taicho... let's go home. We won the war."

"_Home... where is home?_" The boy closed his eyes, dozing off. He woke up in what looked to be his quarters. "_A dream. __A horrible dream._" The sound of construction outside caused him to step outside, his eyes going wide. In some places the Soul Society he knew had managed to come back, but other places were replaced by the more modern buildings of the Stern Ritter. Swallowing, he closed his eyes and headed towards the office despite not being dressed in his uniform.

He stopped short upon seeing Rangiku's back as she lectured five female Quincy. Toshiro looked at them carefully, only to flinch when he saw the girl with purple hair and purple eyes. Without realizing it, his mouth opened. "Bambi-chan?"

This caused Rangiku to stop what she was doing and turn her head. The five girls turned to look at them, the girl with the purple eyes having the most shock as she looked at him. The smallest girl spoke. "Ehh... Bambi-chan doesn't like being called Bambi-chan..."

Toshiro found himself swallowing. A girl dressed in a scant manner raised an eyebrow at him. "Actually... how do you know her name at all?"

Rangiku looked at him. "Taicho... you all right?"

The child captain swallowed, before turning his head away from them. "I'm going back to bed Matsumoto. Please don't let there be a giant stack of paperwork for me to take care of when I'm done."

He slipped into his room and crawled under the covers. "_Who is she?_" His mind drifted, a memory of a younger girl with purple hair and purple eyes flashing before his eyes. "_Bambi-chan is nee-nee... or nee-chan._" His eyes clamped shut. "_No... if I'm a clone... then there is a chance I have false memories. I'm also a clone of a Quincy. I don't belong..._"

He found himself drifting in and out of sleep, his dragon trying to lecture him, but not giving specifics about why he shouldn't be upset. Rangiku came and knocked at the door. "Taicho?"

"Go away!"

"Taicho... Bambietta... she'd like to speak with you."

"_Because I am a clone of her brother._" Toshiro felt his eyes clamping shut tight and his muscles tensing up. "I said go away!"

His body shook. "_You need to eat something._"

"_I don't want too! I want too die!_" Hyorinmaru remained silent for a bit, then told him that Rangiku would have something to say about that and that since he could depend on her to take care of it he wouldn't have to push the situation, at least at this point. The sound of feet caused him to sit up suddenly. "I thought I told you to go away Matsu..." He paused... seeing the boy he had seen before. "_The original."_

"What... cat got your tongue?"

Toshiro swallowed. "What do you want?"

"I don't like you and want you to die."

"Because you're the perfect original and I'm the imperfect clone."

A sudden callous laugh came from the other boy. "Stupid. I'm the _perfect_ clone, while you're the _imperfect_ original. Why do you think they would create a clone of yourself, huh? It was because you were imperfect, weak. Look at how Bazz-B tore you a new one. He could never have done that to me."

Toshiro swallowed, his confusion growing. "I still don't understand."

"My power is to imagine _anything_ I want, while you're reality is limited to... well, that stupid ice dragon."

"Hyorinmaru..."

"Is a voice in your head. You're _mental_, wishing with your own powers to be a Shinigami so bad that you had to create an imaginary friend."

"_That doesn't seem right."_

"_It isn't right."_

"What... is he telling you that isn't right? He would, wouldn't he... if he were an imaginary friend you wouldn't want to go away. Face it. I'm better then you. Taller, the way you want to look."

Toshiro looked at the ground. "If I'm the original, then the reason she wanted to talk to me..."

"You mean Bambietta? Bambietta wanted to tell you to get lost. She already has a better brother then you. She..." The next thing he knew the door was exploding in.

"Leave Gremmy."

The small taicho saw the other boy flinch. "Bambietta..."

"I told you when they first presented you in front of me that I would never, ever call you my brother."

The boy gritted his teeth together. "Why not? He was _supposed _to be dead, the sample taken from his _dead_ body from the inside of his mouth. He was _dead. _And if I remember correctly it was you who killed him that winter day. You hate him, don't you."

"Shut up. When you didn't get your way of me calling you my brother, you started telling me I never had one and got everyone else doing the same. All of you also kept telling me that the voice in my head was me being mental. Now I'm the only one with abilities left. You're lucky that scientist captain person thingy decided to give you an actual body, and one like how it used to be. Of course... if he had given you one similar to nii-sama, I would have gone and killed you rather then look at your face."

The male let out an irritated sound and spun out of the room. Bambietta turned her head to look at Toshiro. "What was he talking about when he said you supposedly killed me?"

The girl looked away and began to walk off. "I don't want to talk about it. It's really none of the business of someone who doesn't care to remember."

Toshiro looked at the door. "Matsumoto's going to be mad at this mess."

"You mean ka-chan?"

The small taicho felt himself inwardly flinch. He then clutched the sheets and gritted his teeth. "If you didn't want to tell me that you hate me, then what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I never said I didn't hate you. You've had mother all this time and you couldn't be bothered to come looking for me. That relationship you have with that stupid Hinamori Momo. Why you don't blame her, and you're blaming me. On top of this your powers didn't manifest as those of a Quincy, but a Shinigami. I wanted answers from you... but the fact you don't want to remember. There is honestly no point."

Toshiro looked at the bedding, his hands tightening even more on the sheets. "_Where do I belong?_" The boy flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. "_What did I do wrong?_"

"_You really should get something to eat."_

"_I don't feel like eating."_

"_Because you still want to die?"_

"_No... I just... don't feel like eating._"

"_Go talk to your fukutaicho._"

Letting out a sigh the boy sat up and pulled over a summer kimono over his under garments. He then headed over to the offices, the buildings around him causing him to feel sick to his stomach. When he got there he saw that Rangiku was speaking with two of the females that had been with Bambietta. Both had light hair and were older then him physically. The one who dressed in scant clothing looked up at him. "Oh... it's you."

"Did I do something wrong?"

The other girl blinked a couple of times. "Well... we know that Bambietta-chan is mad at you."

"I..." The boy paused.

The other girl narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes... well, I'm not sure _what_ you did to get her angry at you."

"Matsumoto... can I talk to you?"

"I'm kind of busy taicho, teaching them how things run in a division. This is Candace-chan, and Meninas-chan."

"They're..." Toshiro paled. "They're _staying_?"

"We've lost our powers, we might as well earn our keep." The girl dressed in the scant clothing smirked at him, her tone condescending.

"I thought you would be pleased. I know Candace doesn't dress the part, but the older three are really good at paper work taicho. The youngest one is good at cooking." Rangiku's cheerful disposition wouldn't go away. "Oh! You must be getting hungry!"

"Not hungry." The boy looked at the ground, his hands hanging to the side, his mouth twisted up into a frown. "Matsumoto... can we please talk."

"How about we talk over dinner with Bambietta-chan? If she's mad at you, we really need too get that sorted out."

"Matsumoto... I need..." The small taicho paused. "I need to fill out a request for a replacement door for my quarters."

Rangiku blinked a couple of times. "What happened this time?"

"_Oh... so when it's her precious daughter she doesn't throw a fit? Why's everything my fault._" The boy glanced away. "Nothing. I just need to fill out the report."

"Eh... Bambietta busted down your door because she was pissed at you." The girl dressed in the scant clothing continued to look at him in the condescending manner.

Meninas blinked a couple of times, tilting her head at him. "What did you do to get her to use her ability?" Toshiro's mouth opened and closed at this. "I mean... she seemed quite excited to see you."

"Yeah..." The other girl crossed her arms. "She was wanting to see you until this afternoon. What... did you turn down her confession?" The girl watched as his face twisted up in confusion. "You have no idea what I'm talking about."

"Taicho... was she upset with you because you refused to speak with her?"

"Maybe. I guess so. That's not why she busted down the door to my room." The boy looked away. "_He _was there."

"He..." The other girl raised an eyebrow. "Whose _he_?"

"She called him Gremmy."

"Ohh... the one who used to pretend to be her brother." Meninas blinked a couple of times.

"You know... making friends with Gremmy isn't a good idea." Candace waved her hand. "Bambietta really hates him."

"I wasn't trying to make friends with him."

"Wait... this kid used to pretend to be Bambietta-chan's brother."

Toshiro watched as Rangiku's facial features twisted up in horror. He could feel the color draining from his cheeks, before spinning on his heals. "I have to go."

As he moved to leave, he felt the busty female grab his arm. "Taicho... I think you're right about us needing to talk. Why don't we step outside."

"That's not needed." Toshiro tried pulling away, only to feel the back of his summer kimono grabbed.

"No... you're hiding something from me." The woman pulled him out from the room and closed the door. "So... who is this guy?"

"He's a clone of me. Supposedly he's the perfect version of me. Except I think they were only got him to the stage of being a brain. Mayuri did the rest."

"So... he looks like you."

"Matsumoto... please let go."

"Taicho..."

It was then that he stopped pulling. "He's taller then me, looks older then me. He looks like he's put together right despite the fact our coloring is different."

"Don't do this to yourself." Rangiku tugged him around so that he could look at him. "It seems like Bambietta choose you over him despite the fact he's supposed to be this perfect version of you."

"She didn't choose either of us. She hates both of us." The boy looked away again.

"I don't believe that is true."

"What would you know about that." Toshiro suddenly slapped her hand away. "Just... leave me alone. I'm going back to my quarters." To his dismay Rangiku simply let him go. "_She's only acting the part._"

"_Nonsense._"

Toshiro collapsed onto the bed, covering his eye. After a bit of time he felt Rangiku enter the room, setting a tray down onto the night stand. She then sat down on the bed. "I informed the Head Captain about Gremmy being a clone. Apparently a certain captain was very aware of him being your clone, but didn't release that information. Kyoraku's placed a restraining order on Gremmy not to leave the twelfth division."

"How's that fair to him."

"Are you still going on about how much better he is then you?"

"_See... she's not acting the part. She picked up on the fact he makes you feel uncomfortable._"

"_Yes..._" Toshiro sat up then. "That would be like taking away the freedom of the mod sols."

"Don't worry. It's a temporary house arrest. That man argued that while he is your clone, he isn't you just like Nemu isn't him." Rangiku reached out and ruffled his hair. "I also got a bit of information from your sister, though she still seems to be wanting to keep her distance."

"What would that be?"

"Gremmy is far from being a perfect clone. The ability he had... well, they could only replicate a brain similar to yours. Gremmy doesn't have your intelligence, he couldn't use your powers. So... they had to give him one."

"And how is this supposed to make me better. My sister still hates me."

"Guess what... I'm not leaving until you eat." Toshiro let out a sigh and began to eat his food. After a few minutes Rangiku leaned over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning her cheek against the top of his head. He felt his body relax a bit. She then spoke again. "You do know that I love you, right."

This caused the small taicho's body to tense up and for him to stop eating. "How come you didn't say anything to me?"

The busty female pulled back, stroking his head only to stop after a few strokes. There was a silence that Toshiro didn't like. "I wanted to give you the chance to approach me first. I figured it would be less of a shock. If you didn't figure it out, then I would have had to push your comfort zone."

The small captain sighed. "Are you all right with us acting like a family when we haven't ever acted that way? It seems like things aren't going well so far."

Rangiku's reaction was to embrace him in one of her tight hugs, placing her cheek against his. This caused his cheeks to flush up. "We'll take it day by day." She then pulled back. "Since you've figured out this much, there is something else I need to talk to you about... about your father."

"Ichimaru?" Toshiro shook his head and continued eating.

"That's not it. I kind of figured you would figure that out. No..." The woman took a deep breath. "He's alive." The boy stopped eating, the feeling of wanting to pull away suddenly sweeping over him. "I take it your not happy with that."

"Are you two going to be getting back together."

Rangiku's voice took on a rather indignant tone. "Not for awhile at least. That man has to earn my trust back as well as yours."

The spoon clinked against the bowl and the boy let out a sigh. "You do realize he's likely to give me the answers I want."

Silence, and then came the answer. "Yes... I do realize that. I also don't want you to force yourself to talk to him if you don't want to. I can act as a mediator if you want."

The boy paused. "Matsumoto... I know you're trying to protect me and all... but I am a captain of the Gotei Thirteen."

He felt Rangiku's body go slack, the bed moving in time to this reaction. "Yes... I know that." The woman pause. "Let me make something clear with you though. Despite the fact you are a captain there are things that I didn't approve of … like you staying up late, you not eating... you not taking time to relax and enjoy yourself. I couldn't..."

"Shiro-chan!"

Toshiro felt the color leave his cheeks. Rangiku pulled away from him and sat as if nothing had changed. "... believe that you went so long without food taicho. Why are you being such a party pooper."

The boy flinched. "_Why did she have to go and change from acting like a sensible adult to acting like a complete ditz?_"

"_Perhaps because only a few people know that you are related. She's always been protective of you despite only just remembering who you are to her._"

Toshiro swallowed as Momo turned the corner. "You're awake!"

"... and getting a headache Hinamori."

The girl paused, looking at the broken door. "That girl was here..."

"What of it."

"I don't like her."

Toshiro's frown deepen. "Hinamori... have you... interacted with her?"

"She was mean to my taicho."

"_I take that for a yes answer._"

"And then when we rescued her from the other girls who were picking on her she wouldn't stop pulling my hair and calling me names."

"It's not as if the two of you had met before." The boy let out a sigh, pulling up his leg. He watched as Momo blinked a couple of times. "_She's hiding something._"

"_Are you sure you want to be digging into this young master?_"

"_Not really._"

"It's not possible that they met before." Rangiku frowned, watching Momo with her eyes wide.

"There is no reason for her to hate me like she does!" The girl pouted.

Toshiro narrowed his eyes at Momo. "Hinamori... why didn't you agree with us that you and she haven't met before?"

Momo froze. "Because..."

"You're hiding something. No... why do I have the feeling this isn't the first time you and she met." He watched the girl suddenly pale, her hands shaking slightly. "Hinamori... what are you hiding from me?"

"It's not as if..." The girl looked at the ground. "As you've said, you and I have never met her before."

Toshiro's eyes widened. "_Why is she lying to me."_

"_Because she does know something she doesn't want to tell you."_

"Hinamori..." The boy's small hand reached out to grab Rangiku's without realizing he had done this. "You're lying to me."

"I'm not!"

"I know full well that I've met her before." He watched as the girl's jaw dropped. Toshiro decided to try something else. "Do you... do you know why she hates me?"

The girl's face suddenly brightened, causing Rangiku to flinch which in turn caused Toshiro's hand to tighten around hers. "Well... I guess it's because you're _my_ brother."

"I don't understand." The white haired boy heard the busty female to his sigh let out a sigh.

"Momo-chan... are you jealous of Bambietta-chan?"

Toshiro watched as Momo flinched. The girl began to stammer. "Of course not! Why would I be jealous of that... that... crazy person!"

The boy looked down at his food. Again, Rangiku came to the rescue. "Momo-chan... I need to talk to my taicho about some business issues."

"Ahh... all right Rangiku-san." Momo backed away, looking at the ground as she did.

"What business?" Toshiro asked once she was gone.

"None actually. I told you those girls were good." The woman leaned back. "You don't understand what is going on, do you?"

Two bright teal eyes blinked a couple of times and then Toshiro shook his head. "No... I don't. Well... I know that Hinamori knew nee-chan when we were younger, but I'm not understanding how. I honestly don't have any memories before a certain point. To me... it's always been Hinamori and granny and me. But... I remember nee-chan a bit. I remembered when I saw her. It's... the memory is vague."

"Momo-chan's jealous of the fact Bambi-chan's your real sister and Bambi-chan is jealous of the fact you have memories of Momo-chan being your sister growing up, but none of her being your sister."

Toshiro felt his mouth tremble. "But..." He then set his food down. "I need to go talk to her."

"Which one?"

The boy paused. "I honestly couldn't care how Hinamori feels about this. I don't remember her ever being there for me."

"You know... she also may be upset because both you and Bambi-chan aren't accepting her as a sibling."

Toshiro stopped short at the door, turning to look at his mother. "Ichigo's been more of a sibling to me then she has. She... I don't know. She drives me nuts." The boy paused. "I'm not against Momo being a part of my family... it's just... things haven't turned out the way I wanted them too.


	2. 2: The Between

**Title: **The Between

**Genre: **Angsty, Family  
**Characters: **Ichigo, Toshiro, Bambietta  
**Summary: **The date on this one is 5-22-2014. This one actually had a title despite still being labeled as # in my folder. I had to also re-read this one to figure out where I left off so I could finish this one. I've got at least four other one-shots to go through and a few more I would like to write before the next chapter of Bleach comes out. (Joy...)

_Who am I?  
I am neither, I am both  
Yet there is no between  
Where do I belong  
In this mess of things?_

**The Between**

The war was ended. Toshiro looked out at the mess that was now the main part of Soul Society. He sat on the roof with one knee bent, an arm draped over it in a lazy manner. His lips pushed together and his bright teal eyes were narrowed as he looked at the mingling of buildings both of the traditional and modern style. A gust of wind indicated someone had shunpooed to his side on the top of the clock tower. "My first time in Soul Society I couldn't find a place high enough to see what I wanted."

Toshiro listened to the sound of the roof scrapping as Ichigo sat down next to the small Shinigami. The child taicho continued to frown as he looked out at Soul Society. "They say we won, but it feels like niether side won."

"I think both sides won."

Two bright teal eyes blinked and Toshiro found himself turning to look at the older boy. "How so?"

"The real enemy was the enemy of both sides." Ichigo moved into a position that mirrored the small Shinigami. "Then again, I don't think of the Quincy and Shinigami as being different either."

"Ehh..." Toshiro turned his head again to look back at the chaotic mess of two worlds merging. "This wouldn't happen to be because we're all in the long run human souls?"

"That's the philosophical answer. I kind of knew you of all people would go that route." Ichigo switched his position so that he was leaning back to look up at the sky, both knees now bent up. "Did you know that there is a Quincy technique that can only be learned naturally if one is a full blood Quincy?"

"That's a random change of the subject... but..." Toshiro paused, thinking about what he wanted to say carefully. "It's not an unwelcome change of subject. Not that I don't want to talk about the other subject, but I'm not talking against this one either."

Ichigo laughed, almost causing the small taicho's mood to lighten. "It actually wasn't a random change of subject. You know that one of my parents is a Shinigami, right?"

"They would have to be for you to have been a Substitute Shinigami." Toshiro noticed then that Ichigo was looking up at the sky and proceeded to do the same, pulling his knees up to his chest."

"You would think then if only pure bloods can do it naturally that a half Quincy, half Shinigami like myself wouldn't be able to learn this technique. Fact is though, I learned blunt naturally by seeing it used only once."

Toshiro's body stiffened, one of his legs sliding down and his arm lying limp over a knee again. He choose not to look at the orange haired teen when he spoke. "Could it have been because your Shinigami parent was half Shinigami and half Quincy?"

"No... not only do I know that my father is a full blood Shinigami I also know that Uryu's father is a full blood Quincy and his mother a half blood. By all rights he has more Quincy blood in him then I do, but I'm the one who was able to learn it naturally, while he had to learn it through a different means."

The child taicho's head darted down to look at the mess, his frown deepening as he felt chills run though his body. "That means..." His bright teal eyes widened upon realization. "If people were to find that out they would reject it. It wouldn't matter which side they were on."

"I know that... but I think some would accept it right away and others would accept it with time."

Toshiro turned his head to look at Ichigo, confusion on his face. "Why did you tell me this? I mean, of all people... it seems a bit strange to tell me."

"For some reason I got the feeling you needed to hear that." Ichigo's head continued to face the sky, but his eyes closed. "So... what are you thinking about? What drove you to come and find the highest spot you could?"

The small taicho took a deep sigh. "Everything feels messed up still, but I don't know why." The boy paused in hopes Ichigo would respond, but instead got no answer. "At first I thought it was something along the lines of it feeling weird, the idea of living next to our enemies as if we had never been enemies. But... the problem with that is I never saw them as enemies. I never understood why we were fighting."

"I don't think anybody on either side understood why we were fighting each other."

"Except... it is more then that. Something has been bothering me since I met that one Quincy, but I can't place my finger on it." The boy swallowed. "What scares me is that I think I'm going to find out if I interact with anymore of those Quincy."

"What? Are you worried about making friends with them?" Ichigo let out a laugh.

"Shut up!" Toshiro turned to Ichigo. "I have no problems with the idea of living with them, or being friends with them... besides the fact I struggle to make friends with anyone." The boy flinched and looked away, pulling his knees up to his chin. "No... it's something else. I've got a bad feeling. I don't think I'm going to like what I would find out."

"It's not just the Quincy you've been avoiding. You're avoiding your fukutaicho."

"Let me guess. She's the one who sent you to look for me?" The small taicho felt his cheek twitch.

"No... more along the lines I was already looking for you and found out she was upset about the fact you had gone missing... _again_... and I offered to find you for her."

"How is that any different?"

"'cause if I didn't offer to find you, she would eventually have found you and I am quite sure you would rather deal with me then her right now."

"Matsumoto's been hanging around those female Quincy as well as Ichimaru." Toshiro felt his teeth tighten. "I can't believe that he's come back, of all people!"

Ichigo frowned. "Toshiro... Gin-san hasn't been hanging out with Rangiku-san. He's been avoiding everyone as well." The orange haired teen saw the small Shinigami flinch. "For some reason you didn't like hearing that. Actually... Rangiku-san says she is quite sure that Gin-san is another person you are avoiding."

"Well, he did run off on Matsumoto. I can't believe she's fine with him being back." Toshiro closed his eyes. After a bit of silence he turned to look at Ichigo, his mouth twisted up in irritation. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

"I figured silence would be the best way to get you to speak your mind rather then badgering you to speak about something you're trying to avoid the truth on."

"Avoid... Kurosaki!" The boy stood up and attempted to glare at Ichigo, only to find himself pulled back down to a sitting position. Toshiro lowered his voice to a whisper despite the fact no one else was around. "What do you _mean_ avoiding the truth?"

"Think about it. If she had accepted him back, then wouldn't she have been looking for him too."

"She _noticed_ I was avoiding him."

"Well, I guess that is true. Perhaps she has just been watching the two of you when you've both been around and noticed how both of you react to each other. Gin-san's not a bad person you know."

"How would you know!"

"I crossed swords with him."

"That..." Toshiro paused, looking away. "You mean like when you crossed swords with me that time."

"Yes. Like that time."

The boy let out a sigh and closed his eyes. "I don't know why I'm avoiding him. I know why he's avoiding everyone. He's a traitor."

"Ehh... I don't think that is the reason." Ichigo looked up at the sky.

Toshiro turned to the other boy, stammering. "What... what other... seriously... you..."

"If that were true then he would only be avoiding the Shinigami. He could have easily been asked to work with the Quincy, but he didn't. He is avoiding them as well."

"He always avoids people."

"Ran-san says that he avoids people in the same way you do." Ichigo blinked a couple of times as Toshiro flopped onto the roof, his arms spread and his eyes close. "I hit another nerve?"

"Of course you did. I _hate_ it when people compare the two of us."

"Sorry... I wasn't trying to do that." The orange haired teen remained silent for awhile. "I thought you'd be interested in the secret I found out about Gin-san."

"I hate the man. Why would I care?"

"Except it's not in your nature to hate someone. Sure... I know you hate Aizen, but it took quite a lot to get you there."

Toshiro opened his eyes and looked at the sky. He turned his head to look at Ichigo. "Can we just leave it at the fact I have a lot of anger towards him, the only reason I can think of being that he abandoned Matsumoto like he did?"

"If that's what you want." Ichigo lay back on the roof as well and there was quite a bit of time with pure quiet.

"_Seriously... what is Kurosaki thinking, bringing up Ichimaru like that and all this other stuff._"

"_Tell him what you told me just before he came up here._"

The small taicho took a deep sigh. "Kurosaki?"

"Yes?"

"Before this whole thing with the Quincy went down I felt like I finally found my place to belong. I didn't think that anything could shake that, but now I don't feel like I belong anywhere."

"I know where you belong."

Toshiro blinked, and turned his head to see that Ichigo was smiling at him. "Oh... where?"

"With me." This comment from the orange haired teen caused two bright teal eyes to blink a couple of times. "And with Rangiku-san. In case you haven't figured out, we do care about you Toshiro."

The boy felt his cheeks heat up. "It's Hitsugaya Toshiro... Kurosaki!"

"Not if you end up marrying Karin it isn't!"

This caused Toshiro to sit up, his face completely flustered. "What the...! Why are you...! Seriously!"

Ichigo remained lying on the roof. "What comes to mind with the word seriously is that you seriously need to lighten up. I don't think my father would have a problem with you dating Yuzu or Karin if you wanted, nor would Uncle Kyoraku."

"That's one of the most idiotic things. There is no way that Uncle Ky... Head Captain Kyoraku..." Toshiro blinked a couple of times, his face paling. "Wait... why did you call him uncle?"

"I think you know already, and another place you belong."

"Why is it that the Shiba clan has to be so infuriating!"

"Isn't that why you became a part of our family, you're infuriating yourself at times?"

The corner of Toshiro's mouth twitched and a hand clenched into a fist. He opened his mouth to say something in an angry tone. "Kur..." The boy paused, thinking carefully. "I don't think that's how it works."

Ichigo let out a sigh and sat up. "I overhead a conversation between Gin-san and one of the Quincy. The person that Gin-san wished to betray wasn't Soul Society, or Aizen. It hasn't been them he's been running away from all this time either. It's the Quincy."

The small taicho blinked a couple of times. "Wait... that means..."

"That other then Rangiku-san you've been avoiding Quincy."

"That..." Toshiro felt a sudden shove on his back and he felt himself pushed off the edge. "Kurosaki!" The small boy twisted around and began to reach for his blade. The anger changed to shock when he realized that Ichigo had jumped with him. The next thing he knew the orange haired teen was grabbing him around the waist. Instead of landing on his own feet, he found himself tossed over Ichigo's shoulder. "Hey! This isn't funny!"

"No more avoiding your fear. I'm taking you to meet some of the Quincy!"

"I don't want to see Bambi-chan!" The boy tried pulling away, only to find that Ichigo had a firm grip on him. "Hey! Let me go already!"

Ichigo let out a sigh. "Whose Bambi-chan?"

"She's..." Toshiro paused, his body going limp. "She's... I think that is the name of the Quincy that Momo was healing. I couldn't see her face because she was bandaged. I don't want to see her face. Please..."

The orange haired teen frowned, shuffling the small captain so he was over his shoulder better. "Sorry. I know that you don't like this. I didn't imagine that was the truth."

"What do you mean, that's the truth?"

Ichigo started forward, remaining silent. He stopped at a certain spot. "Toshiro... believe me when I say that it's best not to run from who you are and face it head on." There was a pause. "There has been one Quincy that Gin-san hasn't been avoiding. Rangiku-san hasn't figured it out yet I think."

"You mean the Quincy he got into an argument with?"

"No. I mean the Quincy that his being around allowed him to get into an argue with that other Quincy."

"That makes..." Toshiro stopped short, then under his breath he spoke, his hands suddenly tightening. "Matsumoto..."

"Ah... yeah. She likely sensed you."

"Not just..."

"Ah! Shiro-chan!"

Ichigo stopped short upon seeing the small fukutaicho of the fifth division. Matsumoto though was close behind. "I see that you managed to find him Ichigo. Did you have a problem getting him to come back?"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo reached up to scratch his head with his free hand.

"You have him swung over his shoulder."

"Oh... that. It's because we're off having an adventure right now."

"Kurosaki..." Toshiro pushed him up slightly.

"We're going to be going and seeing some of the Quincy."

"Why?" Momo frowned.

"Why not?" There came a silence. Ichigo then pointed his free thumb at Toshiro. "He's a bit leery of meeting some of them after what happened, so I'm going with him."

"Can I go too?"

Toshiro flinched. "No. And put me down."

Ichigo lowered him to the ground. "Why can't she come?"

"Because... she's annoying." The boy looked away.

"Shiro-chan!"

"It's Hitsugaya Taicho... Hinamori."

Matsumoto though tugged on Momo's shoulder. "Now, now. Let Ichigo and taicho have some bonding time. They haven't gotten to spend much time together as Ichigo lost his powers for awhile."

Momo puffed out her cheeks. "Fine."

Ichigo then tugged on Toshiro's sleeve. "This way."

The boy let out a sigh, following the older boy without realizing that a good deal of his anxiety happened to be gone simply being with the male. When Toshiro heard Gin's voice reading a book to someone he found himself stopping short. The orange haired teen tugged on his sleeve again and he found himself looking in through the doorway of the room he had heard Gin's voice coming from.

Two bright teal eyes avoided making contact with the occupant in the bed and instead examined the rest of the room. There was a vase with marigolds and daffodils on the table next to the bed along with a bunch of cards. Gin was reading to the person on the bed and the window was open causing the curtains to flutter. The silver haired man's reading was interrupted by the occupant in the bed. "You... you're that barbarian that took out the girls."

"Ah... hello." Ichigo smiled at the girl while Toshiro tried looking out the window.

Gin stopped short, his eyes drifting up slightly. The girl in the bed continued speaking. "Well... if you want to be helpful, can you get rid of this guy. I don't know who he is, but this Shinigami has been insistent on visiting me. As amusing as it was to hear _that _person lose it..."

"You should know very well that he is a Quincy as well from the way that person spoke to him about betraying you." The orange haired teens words came quick and sharp, but also with no negative feeling to them.

The silver haired man placed a bookmark into the book and snapped it shut. He then looked up at the two. "Ah... it's the creepy kid and also chibi taicho."

"Chibi?" Toshiro's head darted up in anger, his cheeks flaring up as he did so. His eyes caught sight of the girl sitting in the bed, his cheeks paling and his eyes widening. "Bam... Bam... Bambi-chan."

"Bambi-chan?" The girl with the purple hair narrowed her eyes in the same manner that Toshiro did when something irritated him, and the corner of her mouth twitching like his did as well. "How about I call you Shiro-chan?"

"Shiro-chan!" Toshiro's cheeks turned red. "I would appreciate if you didn't call me that."

"Then don't call me Bambi-chan."

"And exactly what am I supposed to call you!" Toshiro felt a strain on his throat. "_She is pretty."_

"_Like Matsumoto-san._"

"_What... is the reason I have trepidations about meeting her is because I have some kind of crush on her before I even see her. That's stupid._"

"_No... that isn't the answer._" Toshiro could hear Gin getting up.

"Nothing."

"_She hates me."_

"_Take another look at her. Try to figure her out._"

Toshiro looked up, only to see that Gin was right in his face with his eyes open. "Shiro-chan... shouldn't you still be in bed resting."

"That honestly isn't any of your business Ichimaru." A hand reached up to ruffle the boy's hair, only to be pushed away. "I said it is _none_ of your business."

"Ehh..." The air in the room thickened. Gin placed a hand on Toshiro's head and his hand tightened on the boy's head. "I'm quite sure that Ran-chan wouldn't want you up and about."

"Actually Ichimaru..." The boy pushed his hand away. "Matsumoto is fine with me getting some fresh air as long as I don't over exert myself. So back off."

A look of shock appeared on the silver haired man's face. The man stood up. "I see. You still shouldn't be here."

"You know _why _he's here." Ichigo's smile finally faltered and Gin's reiatsu flared again. The silver haired man blocked his view of the girl.

"Yes... well as far as I'm concerned all three of you Shinigami should leave." The girl then continued. "I hate Shinigami."

Toshiro flinched, his jaw dropping. He then turned, a hand reaching up to grab Ichigo's sleeve. "Let's leave."

"Why?"

"Kurosaki..." The boy tugged at the orange haired teens sleeve. "_Please..._ let's just go."

"You know her though. You've been avoiding her specifically, out of all the Quincy."

"I have not!"

There came an irritated sound from the bed and Ichimaru's reiatsu flared. "Bambi-chan... you shouldn't be getting out of bed."

"I only wish to set them straight. I promise I won't use my powers. Well... no guarantees. Depends on my mood." The girl spoke as she got up. "Look... I don't need any Shinigami having a crush on me. So why don't..." The purple haired female stopped on the other side of Ichigo, able now to see Toshiro. The boy looked at her with his bright teal eyes wide. "You really are a Shiro-chan." She then moved to hug him, causing him to let out an undignified yelp. "You're _my_ Shiro-chan."

Ichigo scratched his head. "You all right Toshiro..."

"I'm... I'm..." The boy could feel his cheeks flushing up. He then spoke with his voice cracking. "No! I'm not fine."

The girl pulled away. "I thought you were dead." The smile quickly fell from her face. "Wait... you... why are you..."

Toshiro looked away, tugging at Ichigo's sleeve. "Can we go?"

"We came here so you could stop avoiding the Quincy Toshiro."

"I don't belong. If the Shinigami find out..." The boy looked away so that no one could see the look in his eyes. "_I won't belong there either._"

"Of course you belong with us! You're a Quincy, not a Shinigami."

The boy took a deep breath and faced his sister. He detached Hyorinmaru from his back and held it out for her to see. "See this. This is my zampaktuo." The girl frowned, the look on her face filled with disgust. She didn't though say anything. "I'm also captain ranked, knowing Bankai. One of the Quincy stole my Bankai, another burned me seriously."

"Bazz-B? I'll burn him for doing that to you!"

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying!" Toshiro watched as her purple eyes blinked a couple of times in surprise. "No. We may be twins, but we don't really know each other that well. I don't have any Quincy abilities. I don't know the Quincy ways. I'm not sure if I want to know them unless there can be peace between the Shinigami and the Quincy."

"Why?" The girl looked at him, a bit of anger in her voice. "The Shinigami hunted us down. They made us keep hidden all these years. The forty-six ordered our deaths."

"I know all about the forty-six and their crimes. Not all Shinigami are bad. It was a Shinigami who saved me and it was another Shinigami who taught me how to control my powers. Those Shinigami are Matsumoto Rangiku and Shiba Isshin. I owe them everything."

"Two people..."

"There are others." Ichigo piped up. "Shiba Isshin believed in peace between the Quincy enough to marry one and have me and my sisters. Then there were the Shinigami who kept his secret for twenty years."

Silence fell over the room as the girl looked at Toshiro in surprise. He looked at the ground, swallowing as he did so. Gin decided to speak. "On top of this your father fell in love with someone of Shinigami blood and came to realize that the king of the Quincy's plans were all wrong. Not to mention the fact the Quincy are equally guilty. It's Romeo and Juliet..."

Toshiro felt his eye twitch. "Didn't Romeo and Juliet die?"

"Yes... but their families were unitied because in the long run they were of the same human race. Same goes for Quincy and Shinigami."

"I think he was comparing the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to how tragically your and Rangiku-san's relationship almost ended and may still end."

"Yes... she's going to kill you." Toshiro piped up.

Bambietta blinked a couple of times. "I'm not following. I mean... I get what he said about our parents."

"He is our father. And a moron at that!" The boy snapped.

"I'm not sure if I want to meet her. She wasn't there for us."

Gin stood up and walked to the door. "Bambi-chan... your mother is this Matsumoto Rangiku person your brother speaks of. Despite having lost her memories she found your brother at a time he really needed her. I think I should go and have a word with her before she loses it. You two... please get some rest."

Toshiro looked at the female, who still seemed confused. "Is this why I hear this voice in my head."

A smile apreaded on Toshiro's face as well as another thought. "_I'm actually thankful to Hinamori for once. She may be annoying, but her healing ability is good._"


	3. 3: Inner Fears

**Title: **Inner Fears

**Genre: **Angsty, Family  
**Characters: **Toshiro, Bambietta, Gigi, Mayuri, etc.  
**Summary: **Of inner hollows that act like little children, of sisters whose death means possession and intrusion, of lives that just don't work they way one wants them too.  
**Notes: **This is one of the ones that I planned on writing. Suddenly, I came up with an idea for a very weird ending for it. The idea worked in my head when I came up with it, but then when I got to writing it I couldn't get it to work the way I wanted it too. I think people will understand when they read it.

_Where am I_

_I see nothing but a lake  
My inner world defrosted  
The warm feeling choking me  
A fear eating away at my soul  
Why do I want to cry?_

**Inner Fears**

Two small finger tips twitched in the lukewarm water. The small taicho of the tenth division floated in the water, his entire body limp except for the movement in his left hand. Toshiro's eyes remained shut. "_Am I dead? This feeling feels familiar for some reason._"

"Open your eyes all ready dummy."

Two bright eyes snapped open to look up at the sky above him. The sky reminded him of the winter sky that progressed into spring. He tilted his head only to see a lake of water with chunks of ice in it. He attempted to move, only to remember that he couldn't swim. The fear of sinking suddenly came over him, only to have someone grab his arms to steady him. "It is only chest deep young master."

Toshiro let his feet settle to the ground as he calmed down. Looking up again made him see that it was his zampaktuo spirit that had grabbed him. Hyorinmaru was in his human form, perched in a keeling position on one of the chunks of ice. "Hyorinmaru... where are we?" The zampakuto spirit pulled the child taicho up onto the block of the ice, wrapping his arms around the boy as Toshiro shivered. "Seriously... Hyorinmaru, where are we?"

"Maru-chan's healing springs."

Toshiro blinked a couple of times upon realizing that the voice he'd heard before and now was a new voice. One of Hyorinmaru's hands moved to ruffle Toshiro's hand in a comforting manner, but this didn't stop him from turning to look in the direction that the voice was coming from with his eyes wide. He saw a small figure near his zampaktuo spirit. "Hyorinmaru... who is that?"

The figure darted behind the zampaktuo spirit, moving in a quick and agile manner. "Maru-maru... I don't think Shiro-chan likes Maru-chan."

Two bright teal eyes widened and Toshiro pushed away from his zampaktuo to try and see the small figure only to have it continue ducking to the other side of the zampaktuo spirit. As the small figure ducked away he managed to grab the foot of the small child. "Hyorinmaru..."

"Shiro-chan doesn't like Maru-chan!" The creature began to sob. "Let Maru-chan go meanie!"

"Are you sure you want to do tht young master?"

"He's trying to hide from me. What else am I supposed to do?" The boy suddenly felt a kick to his nose, causing him to draw back. He felt the blood spurt out of both nostrils and his small hands reached up to stop the bleeding and to ease the pain. "What is wrong with him?"

A sudden splash told hi m that the child had gone into the water. Maru-chan began to shout out some childish things about his displeasure as well as how "Shiro-chan" didn't like him. There were a few more splashes and then quiet. Toshiro's face took on a rather annoyed expression. "Seriously?"

"Young master... he is a baby dragon and doesn't know better."

"Hyorinmaru, if that is your idea of a baby..." Toshiro's left eye suddenly twitched. "Is _that_ how you see me?"

"I am over a thousand years old. You and he are only just over a hundred. In my eyes you are a child in comparison... mine to protect."

Toshiro sat up, his face twisted up with irritation as he pinched his nose. His legs crossed and he looked at the water. There was a stirring in the water, causing him to lean forward. The next thing he knew the creature was spitting water into his face. "Hey!"

The thing disappeared back into the water as quickly as it came while Hyorinmaru grabbed the back of his clothing. "I know you're angry at us as well as what just happened. You shouldn't though be stressing yourself like this."

"He..." Toshiro stopped short realizing that his nose had stopped bleeding. "Did he just spit water at me so my nose will heal! That is so disgusting!" He pulled back again to sulk and think. "Hyorinmaru?"

"Yes?" Both zampaktuo spirit and creature responded in unison. Hyorinmaru glared at the water as the creature giggled uncontrollably.

"We're not dead, right?"

"No dummy!" The creature called out from the water.

Toshiro took a deep breath. "You're immature calling me a dummy like that."

"But you are a dummy! You were thinking the warm feeling came after the icy plain of ice, but it came before! This is the way things were before your powers developed."

"I don't understand..."

"Dummy! You didn't die on an icy plain of ice."

"That..." Toshiro shook his head as he thought about this, remebering that Hyorinmaru had refered to the small taicho and the creature as being just over a hundred years. "Has that thing been here all this time?"

"Yes."

"How do you put up with him? He's horribly annoying?"

"The same way I put up with you."

Toshiro drew his breath tight. "_I'm_ annoying?"

"Sometimes, yes."

The boy remained still for a few minutes then looked away. He spoke in a rather annoyed tone. "Mar-chan, how would you like to be my zampaktuo instead of Hyorinmaru?"

"Shiro-chan likes me!" The creature came out of the water, finally revealing a small child with scales and dragon fin ears. Toshiro found himself glomped by the tiny thing, glad that he was already wet. The small creatures delight was cut short when the ice dragon slammed the heads of the two children together.

"Having your inner hollow in control of your powers is a bad idea."

Toshiro backed away as he rubbed his head while his inner hollow cried. Instead of focusing on the fact Maru-chan was in fact a Hollow he instead asked a different question. "Why the hell is he naked?"

"If I had my way he would be wearing clothes."

"Please tell me that I didn't do that as a child."

"Do what?"

"Run around naked..."

"You did."

"Good grief..."

Maru-chan suddenly spoke up, catching their attention as he pointed a finger at the horizon. "Lookie!" The two others looked up to see two flickering lights in the distance. "Nee-chan! Nee-chan!"

The child spirit made to dash out at the lights, only to be stopped by Hyorinmaru placing his arm out at chest level. "No."

The child zapaktuo... or inner hollow paused, taking in the figures. "What's wrong with nee-chan? What's wrong with nee-chan? I don't like this."

The small figure then dived into the water. Toshiro frowned at the two flickering flames. He could swear the flames had a humanoid shape. "Hyorinmary... who are they?"

"Zampaktuo spirits that have lost their place." Looking up at the dragon's humanoid face, Toshiro couldn't help but notice the unusually upset look.

"Why are we they here? Can we help them?"

"No... we can't help them. They're here because you're the most familial... no... we're the most familial thing to them. You need to wake up now."

"What..."

"You need to wake up now!"

"Hyo..." Toshiro suddenly found himself pushed off the ice into the water in the direction that was headed away from the two lights.

As he went over the edge he heard Hyorinmaru speak. "There is still time to save her... I'll hold them off while I can hurry."

Toshiro's bright teal eyes blinked a couple of times. Water came into his mouth. He found himself struggling as he sunk. Some water got into his nose and lungs. His feet hit the ground and he pushed himself up, gasping and coughing as he surfaced. The boy heard the voices of Ukitake's two third seats. "Captain Hitsugaya!"

The boy blinked a couple of times and looked down at his body. His tattered uniform hung from his body in the cool tub of water. His eyes darted to the side for a way out of the tub only. When he found the exist, he began to climb out of the tub, only to be grabbed by the shoulders by the two third seets. Kiyone was the first to speak up. "You're not fully healed yet!"

"Ukitake Taicho had us place you in the tub because you were burning up with feaver."

"He also said to let your zampaktuo do its thing to heal you."

Toshiro suddenly slipped out of the tub, taking the two third seats to the ground with him. "Hyorinmaru?"

"Over there." The male third seat tilted his head towards a table by the door. "Please..."

"I don't have time." The boy stood up, the tattered uniform still hanging from his body. The lower part happened to be fine except for the fact it was missing the right leg. The top part though was in ribbons on the front area, causing him to pull his arms out of the sleeves and tie the cloth around his waste.

Kiyone tugged on his arm. "Please... you're not well."

"I've got to do this." Toshiro stepped forward, letting instinct take control. "_Now... where to go._"

"_Shiro-chan doesn't recognize Bambi-chan's reiatsu?_"

"_Who?_"

"_Bambi-chan. Bambi-chan's reiatsu is the fiery fire reiatsu. The other fiery fire reiatsu... not the roosters fiery fire reiatsu. Maru-chan likes rooster-chan's hair cut._"

"_You know... there isn't time for that kind of thoughts._" The small taicho thought for a few moments, feeling for the reiatsu before feeling it go off. He felt himself choking as there was an eerie, tainted feeling to the reiatsu. Shaking his head, he simply took off. "_Bambi-chan._"

Maru-chan choose to complain again. This caused the boy to let out a deep sigh. He came close in time to see rubble and Mayuri there. Looking around he saw Yumichika as well as Ikkaku. Yumichika was at his feet, slightly behind him. Looking up he saw a female with violet hair and eyes with an arm missing. There was another girl near by. A creepy feeling came off the two girls, but the fiery rieatsu he was looking for came from the girl with the missing arm. Something of course felt wrong, but he couldn't place it.

Mayuri of course wasn't pleased. "What are you doing here?"

"She's mine." Toshiro pulled his blade, pointing it at the purple haired girl.

The other female began to laugh out loud. "You Shinigami are very stupid. Bambi-chan, why don't you get rid of this little kid. He's not worth our time."

"_Bambi-chan_."

"Hitsugaya Taicho... you have to dodge her attacks!" Ikkaku called out from the side.

Toshiro blinked a couple of times, only to suddenly feel Yumichika grab his leg. Looking down he saw the glassy eyed stare. Looking back up he saw the orbs come hurtling at him. "_You don't have to move. Her powers won't effect you. __They won't effect you're blade.__"_

Ikkaku called out again. "Dodge it!" The boy simply looked straight on, standing his ground. "Don't be stubborn! At least go Bankai and put up you're shield!"

"_No_." Toshiro felt the attack hit and felt a ticklish feeling, but nothing happened. "_My powers counter hers. I don't know why, but they do."_

"Well... this is interesting." Mayuri rolled his eyes in that creepy fashion he was known for.

The other girl though glared at Toshiro. "How is it that Bambi-chan's abilities didn't work on you. Her powers work on anything they touch, blowing them up."

"_Reminds me of Hyorinmaru's ice... it can explode outwards in an array of spikes._" The small taicho narrowed his eyes at the girl.

"Well, she's a useless zombie."

"Zombie?" Toshiro narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean zombie?"

"Don't you know? She's dead?"

"_Bambi-chan is dead._" These words for some reason caused a gut wrench in his stomach and for bile to come up in his throat, he twisted his head in irritation "_She can't be. I've spent all this time looking for her..._" There came a pause. "_I have been looking for her specifically. She's the same age as me... which means... I honestly don't know. I do know I'm angry._" His reiatsu began to flare, and ice began to form on the ground causing Yumichika to let go of him as it began to cover him.

The girl continued to laugh. "You're so funny. Getting upset over a Quincy when you're a Shinigami. This is just as amusing as the look on her face as I killed her."

Toshiro's reiatsu flared out even more. Drawing his sword, he went in to attack her. Ikkaku called out. "You idiot! Hot-headedness is what got me and Yumichika in trouble!"

The boy's blade though slashed through the girl, splattering her blood all over himself. She was obviously cut nearly in two and had this strange look on her face before pushing herself back together. "Ahh... what's with this attacking of a girl?"

"Gross." Toshiro reached up to wipe her blood away from his face. "That's you're power. Regeniration?"

"No. Baka. Shinigami are so stupid. Now I can control you. I want you to go and kill your companions."

The boy stared at her before folding his arms. "Say what?"

The corner of the girls mouth twitched. "Why isn't it working?"

Toshiro reached up a hand to scratch his head, only to realize that he would be getting more blood in his white hair. "How should I know."

"The only ones who I can't control without killing are..." The girl's mouth twitched again. "Bloody hell. You're a Quincy."

Toshiro looked at Bambietta. "_If I'm a Quincy and we're the same age, then perhaps we're related._" He titled his head towards the girl. "Hey... can I ask. You wouldn't happen to know when her birthday is... was?"

The girl's mouth twitched again. "Asking that kind of thing? We're in the middle of battle you know."

"It wouldn't happen to be December twentieth?" He watched as the female paled. "Yeah... you've figured out why I'm here. Bitch."

"I still have one more puppet." Toshiro suddenly felt vines attaching to his limbs. "Since I've got to kill you to make you my puppet, then so be it. Having both you and Bambi-chan..." The girl began to drool.

"Bankai!" The vines suddenly severed and Toshiro moved so that she became cased in ice. He landed on the ground, rubbing the back of his head. "Is this how you would like your specimen?"

Mayuri looked at him. "I don't think this is over. That girl still has her Vollstandig as well as her puppets. That girl whose on her side, she still has those powers. And she also has Yumichika's."

"Bambi-chan..." Toshiro narrowed his eyes. Looking at Yumichika he turned and did a quick movement causing him to become frozen. He then turned his attention to the girl above him. She began to throw bombs at the ice in an attempt to dislodge the other girl

"_I'm sorry young master. I can't hold them off._"

"_What do you mean them?_"Toshiro though suddenly felt his reiatsu suddenly spike, but without the usual icy feeling. He could hear Maru-chan screaming in his head about it being to hot and how all the water had evaporated and how he had no snowballs to throw at the mean "nee-chans". He could feel the sweat starting to pour down his scalp and could taste the salt on his tongue. He could feel himself also becoming dehydrated. He saw the girls head suddenly peer out of the ice.

It was unfortunately as soon as he felt flames start to form around him. "I see that Bambi-chan's powers still can effect you despite that weird fluke." A laugh came and then, "get him Bambi-chan, but try to leave him in decent enough piece that I can use him."

Toshiro could feel himself hyperventilating as the girl approached him. "_I came this far to see her again, the piece of my heart that has been missing this whole time only to die?_"

"_Give her back her zampaktuo._"

"_She's dead. How can that..."_ The boy shook his head. "_No... it doesn't matter if she is dead. It is something I can do for her before we both die._" The child taicho stepped forward quickly and wrapped his arms around the girl's shoulders tightly, letting the flames from his sister's zampaktuo spirit wrap around the two of them. He forced her head into his shoulder so he couldn't see her dead face.

The girl glared at him. "Exactly what are you doing?"

"I'm not going to let you use her as a weapon anymore." He found it harder to breathe. "You can't have Bambi-chan. She's not yours."

"I'm not yours either pervert!" A hand suddenly reached up to touch his chest chest and the air between him and Bambietta was heated up and it exploded, sending him flying back. "Who are you..." The girl with purple hair collapsed to her knees. "... you're Shiro-chan."

The boy looked at her, not understanding what had just occurred. He blinked a couple of times as blood dripped from his lip. His head was hurting, but he could sense that the fiery taint to his reiatsu was gone. "You're alive."

"Shouldn't I be saying that about you?"

"I don't... know... why." Toshiro suddenly felt his eyes roll back and his body collapse to the ground. Spittle came out of his mouth as his entire body shook.

Yumichika of course had regained composure as the girl had no more use for him due to him being stuck. "What the hell is wrong with Hitsugaya Taicho?"

"I don't know." Ikkaku tried pushing himself up with his broken blade to try and help the child taicho, only to find himself collapsing back to the ground. He looked at the taicho of the twelth division. "Aren't you going to do something?"

"Why? I have what I want." The man rolled his eyes in that creepy manner of his.

Bambietta's attention was drawn to what he meant. "Gigi! I'm going to kill you."

Yumichika frowned. "By the way. I have a question for you. Did you know that person who zombified you is really a guy?"

"Gigi! I'm going to kill you after I kill you!"

"Apparently not."

Ikkaku continued to watch Toshiro. "Exactly what are we going to do. That can't be good."

It was then that Ukitake flashstepped to the scene along with his two third seats. Kiyone looked up at her captain with a rather sad face. "We did tell him to stay captain. Honest we did."

"For some reason he seemed quite adamant about taking off on us."

The man stepped over to Toshiro, causing Bambietta to turn her head to glare at him. Despite her bluster she could not move. Her one arm hung limp from her side. "Don't you dare go near him! You nasty Shinigami!"

"Watch your mouth you foul Quincy!" Kiyone called out.

"Yeah! Ukitake Taicho is here to help heal Hitsugaya Taicho."

"Quiet. I need the two of you to go and get cold water. You need to hurry." The white haired man went and knelt down near the boy, shaking his head as he did so. "Shiro-chan... I placed you in that tub at my household to control the fact your body is overheating from the attack. You may have healed for the most part, but any spike in your body temperature."

"Leave him alone!"

"I'd best be going now." Mayuri turned to the block of ice. "I'll have too..." It was then that the ice shattered as the Quincy had used Vollstandig and Gigi took off, forgetting about his or her second puppet. "Now I'm going to have to find a new specimen." His head turned towards Bambietta. "What about her."

"Absolutely not." Ukitake glared at the other captain. The twelfth division captain rolled his eyes and took off. The two third seats came back with the water.

"I said leave him alone! Don't touch my brother! You filthy Shinigami."

The white haired captain of the thirteenth looked up. "I'm not going to hurt Shiro-chan. I'm going to save his life." This statement caused Bambietta to calm down as cold water was placed over Toshiro's frail body.

**M**

Toshiro's eyes opened to see himself in one of Ukitake's rooms. The Ukitake household was built to remain cool without air conditioning. He tried sitting up, only to have someone snap at him. "Don't be an idiot." The boy turned his head to see the girl next to him. She was heavily bandaged. "No... I honestly shouldn't be alive. What the hell happened?"

"I honestly don't know. I just did what instinct told me to do."


	4. 4: Inner Fears: Antic of Maru-chan

**Title: **Inner Fears: Antics of Maru-chan  
**Genre: **Humor  
**Characters: **Toshiro, Bambietta and Maru-chan  
**Summary:** Maru-chan can't keep his mouth shut or hold still.  
**Notes: **This is some of the stuff I cut from the previous chapter. Kind of glad as it was already not wanting to work out for me.

Shaking his head, he simply took off. "_Bambi-chan._" Maru-chan choose to complain again, but something clicked. "_My sister? My biological sister?_"

"_Shiro-chan's nee-chan!_"

"_Then those two were her zampaktuo spirits?_"

"_Maru-maru's holding nee-chan and nee-chan back. Nee-chan and nee-chan never developed into full zampaktuo spirits because Bambi-chan never heard their name."_

"_Why not?_"

"_Bambi-chan... hmm... not sure if Maru-Maru wants Maru-chan to say."_

"_Maru-chan!"_

"_Maru-chan thinks it best Shiro-chan doesn't know Shiro-chan's a Quincy._"

"_You do realize you just told me, right?_"

"_Maru-chan did nothing of the sort!" _The small zampaktuo spirit had a rather flustered reaction, the kind that said he honestly believed what he said. "_Maru-chan shall not be tricked by Shiro-chan!_"

"_You mean into telling me a Quincy?_"

"_Aii!_" Toshiro suddenly imagined the _thing_ rolling around in agony. "_How did Shiro-chan know?_"

**M**

Bambieta waited patiently for Toshiro to wake up. Kiyone called from the hall to have her go and help her with something. A small, pale hand suddenly twitched and then Toshiro's body suddenly sat up. The child taicho's nostrils suddenly sniffed and then his head rubbed against his clothing as if it was an irritation.. "Maru-chan doesn't like this. It's too warm." The boy leaned over and grabbed the top most part of his leeve with his teeth and began to try and tug it oof.

He had it part way off his shoulder when Bambietta called out from the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"Maru-chan is hot!" The child pouted.

"Maru who?"

"Maru-chan!The other half of Maru Maru. Didn't Nee-chan and Nee-chan tell you." Two hands went up into the air.

Bambietta blinked a couple of times. "Not only am I mental and hear things in my head, but my brother does too? To make things worse he has a split personality? You've got to be kidding me."

"Maru-chan is not a split personality! Maru-chan is a zampaktuo spirit! Shiro-chan is asleep right now and Maru-Maru won't let him wake up yet, so Maru-chan came out to play with Bambi-chan."

"How the hell is that _not_ a split personality?"


	5. 5: A Kon and Maru-chan Interview

**Title: **A Kon and Maru-chan Interview  
**Genre:** General, plus a bit of Humor  
**Characters:** Kon, Maru-chan and Urahara  
**Summary: **Kon does an introspective interview with Urahara with his co-host Maru-chan on the subject of Zombies, the word "boku" and Maru-chan himself.  
**Notes: **My brother is a Horror genre fanboy. Not only can you ask him practically anything about the genre... there is the issue about him being _very _particular about the genre. We've been discussing zombie Bambietta this last week and on this particular issue he's the one whose been griping about the translations. This also said... I've been looking at the threads and a few others have brought up the fact it was odd to heal Candace and not Bambietta. The number of explanations we came up with... or I should say he did... makes me want to slam my head against my keyboard. So I'm pretty much doing this to get it out of my head as well as have a bit of humor due to how dark the series is now.

Oh... and in case you think this one is confusing... welcome to my world.

**A Kon and Maru-chan Interview**

A small stuffed lion tapped on his microphone, a smile on his face. "_I'm so glad that I'm getting to bring back my radio service._" The stuffed animal cleared his throat. "Now..." A sudden scrapping sound was heard from the side and Kon blinked a couple of times before turning his head in the direction the sound was coming from. A chair was being pushed over to the table Kon was sitting on, but the person pushing it could not be seen. Kon blinked a couple more times as the chair approached his table. "Umm... excuse me..."

There came silence from the second party and then _something_ began to climb up on the chair. Said something wore a dragon hoodie that had holes torn out for what appeared to be dragon fin ears. The hood of the piece was decked with childish dragon teeth you would expect on a toddlers outfit, while the back had a small set of wings you would also expect on a small child's outfit. On top of this the thing wore a male cheer leading outfit made for a child and wore a cheer leading skirt as a poncho around its neck. On top of the chair was two pom-poms.

"Who are you?" Instead of getting a response Kon watched as the small figure first sat on the pom-poms, its reaction hidden as the hoodie hid the things face. Scales though were on the back of the hands. The thing climbed back down and pushed the pom-poms up onto the table and climbed back up. Kon cleared his throat again. "Um... who are you?"

"Maru-chan."

"Yes... but who are you?"

"Maru-chan."

Kon frowned. "All right... what are those pom-poms for?"

The small figure raised up the pom-poms into the air. "Maru-maru! Maru-maru! Go Maru-maru!"

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It doesn't?"

"No... it doesn't." Kon decided to try another line of questioning. "So... why are you wearing a cheer leading skirt?"

"Maru-chan isn't wearing a skirt Mr. Bear."

"I'm a lion. That thing around your neck is obviously a skirt."

Two hands reached up to grab the skirt. "This? This is Maru-chan's poncho?"

"Um... where did you get this poncho from?"

"Maru-chan got it from Bambi-chan."

"Who?"

"Shiro-chan's nee-chan."

"Umm..." Kon frowned. "Let's try something else."

"What will Mr. Bear and Maru-chan try."

"No... I mean, let me try asking you a different question."

"All right."

"Did Bambi-chan give you the skirt... I mean poncho?"

"Bambi-chan put the poncho on me."

"Ahh... she was playing dress up."

"No... Bambi-chan was playing put clothes on Maru-chan. Except Bambi-chan was funny and tried putting the poncho on over Maru-chan's legs instead of his head. Bambi-chan said poncho didn't go on that way. Poncho was too lose Bambi-chan said so Bambi-chan then put it over Maru-chan's head and poncho fit just fine."

"Uhh... ok. Where do you come from?"

"Maru-chan comes from Shiro-chan's inner world."

"Ah! So you're a zampaktuo spirit?"

"Maru-chan doesn't know. Maru-chan and Maru-Maru are called zampaktuo spirits. Or Hollows. Or Quincy powers. It is confusing."

"Yes... it is." Kon shook his head. "Whose zampaktuo are you?"

"Shiro-chan's."

"Umm. All right." Kon turned back to his mike. "Sorry for the interruption folks. I am actually waiting for my new co-host that Hitsugaya Taicho is _supposed_ to be sending for his replacement. I'm also waiting for the person I am interviewing today, Urahara-san! I'm sure we're all excited to hear from him!"

A few sniffled came from the thing sitting next to Kon in the chair. "But Shiro-chan did send Maru-chan as Shiro-chan's replacement."

Kon blinked a couple of times. "_Wait_. You're _his_ zampaktuo?"

"Yes..." The thing sniffled.

"Um... you're nothing like Hyorinmaru."

The thing began to bawl. "Maru-chan is like Maru-chan!"

The thing wouldn't stop crying. Kon began to wave his hands in the air. "Wait! Stop crying! Stop..." The stuffed lion let out a sigh and got up and began to dance on the table. "Look at me! I'm so funny! I..." The stuffed animal tripped over the cord to his mic. "Ow!"

The thing began to laugh.

And a knock came at the door. Urahara slipped in and pulled up another chair. He took out a piece of candy. "Is Maru-chan a good boy? Is he a good boy?"

Two small hands went up and their was a childish squeal. "Yes! Maru-chan's been very good!"

The lollipop was plopped into the child's mouth. The man then sat down and put his feet up onto the table. "So... today we're talking about zombies and pretty much that girl that controls them."

"I'm the host. I'm supposed to be announcing all of this!"

"Fine! Fine! Announce away." Urahara waved his hand in the air in a dismissive manner.

Maru-chan pulled the lollipop out of his mouth. "This candy is yummy."

The candy went back into his mouth, but not without a disgusting display of drool between mouth and candy. Kon shuddered. "I think he is worse then her... and that is saying something."

"Ah... the little pink haired devil."

"And wait! Gigi is a guy."

"We don't know that."

"Gigi used 'boku' so Gigi is a guy."

"Gigi using 'boku' doesn't mean Gigi is a guy."

"Yes... but only guys use boku. Using boku is vulgar for a girl and in manga it's commonly used to denote guys who disguise themselves as girls."

"It was." Urahara took out a lollipop of his own and began to suck on it, speaking around the candy. "These days girls have been using it as well. It's not a guarantee that the character is a guy anymore even in Manga. I mean, some of the characters that use the word boku are female perverts, which Gigi very well may be. And then... well... not all of them are perverts. Some are just the sporty type."

"Now you're going to be telling me that Bambietta Basterbine isn't dead."

"Didn't Maru-chan just say that Bambi-chan gave him his poncho."

"Yes Maru-chan did!"

Kon was glad there wasn't slobber this time. "This is also breaking the forth wall. Weird things like that happen."

"Well... still. She may not be not alive."

"Yes. She is dead."

"That isn't what I said. I used a double negative there."

Kon crossed his arms. "Come on. Gigi clearly stated she was dead."

"Did you hear right?"

"She clearly said that Quincy had to die once for her to control them."

"Once is the operative word here. And even if it wasn't..." Urahara licked his lollipop. "Let's not forget the fact death to the Quincy may mean something else entirely. I mean..." There came another lick. "...what happened to the Quincy that were completely eaten by the hollows. Even though Hollows are theorized to deteriorate Quincy souls, we haven't exactly proven that fact either. No..." And another. "Even if it is true..." Another lick, this one held out for a few seconds. "... we don't know what happens to the souls that are eaten and whether they survive the process because they become a part of a hollow. It is tricky."

"So in sense."

Maru-chan's hand raised up with his lollipop in hand. "Maru-chan has a question for funny hat man."

"Go ahead Maru-chan."

"Zombies are scary. Bambi-chan is scary. To get total scariness of Zombie-chan Bambi-chan does Maru-chan add or multiply?"

"That is a good question. I honestly don't have an answer to that particular question."

"Maru-chan will think about the answer."

"Good boy! Have some candy for your pockets."

"Thank you! Maru-chan shall put them into Puff." The thing placed the candy into the pockets of the hoodie.

"Puff?" Kon shook his head.

"Maru-chan liked the song Puff the Magic Dragon, so Maru-chan named her Puff."

"It's a she..." Kon shook his head.

"Puff isn't a Gigi Zombie Master-chan."

Kon shook his head again. "We need to get back on track. Where were we."

Urahara thought for a bit. "Ah! Yes! We were discussing how Bambi-chan looks in a swimsuit."

"She may be hot tempered, but she sure is cute in one." Kon began to drool, only to shake his head. "That's even more off topic!"

"Fine. We were talking about how we don't know the Quincy's definition of death. Beyond that whole Hollow aspect, I think outliving your usefulness as a being of free will also means death of sorts. Taking away free will is another form of death."

"This makes no sense at all."

"Let's say that you did hear wrong."

"I did not."

"Well... let's say you did. What if it isn't that a Quincy has to be killed, but that the opponent has to be weakened of mind and or body?"

"I know that works in a sense, but that isn't what this is in this case."

"Hmm... what is it in this case. There are three type of zombie. Arcane, thrall and plague. What kind is Gigi?"

"I don't know."

"Maru-chan knows!"

Kon blinked a couple of times. "All right. Tell us."

"Maru-chan uses addition when Bambi-chan is happy. Maru-chan uses multiplication when Bambi-chan is upset."

Kon stared at the child. "You have a one-track mind."

Urahara laughed. "Well... we know Gigi's power involves using her blood."

"It must be a plague. I mean, it is spread through blood."

"You would think that, but it also involves mind control. That's how she killed some of Kenpachi's men. Mind control."

"Which is it though?"

"I say she's a thrall."

"But she clearly says that Bambietta is dead."

"Once..."

"So?"

"There is something that prevents her from mind controlling the Quincy until they die once. If you remember correctly, it's been revealed that Juhabach gives people something by giving them a part of their soul and then when they die that piece goes back to them and he gains something."

"He takes their soul with them."

"No. For all we know it is just his part and something that is attached to that part. The Quincies lose something, but not necessarily their entire soul. The stronger they are, the easier it is for them to recover. We don't know the exact qualities though. Without that protective part though Bambi-chan can't protect herself from Gigi's control."

"Yes. But Gigi says it doesn't matter what they do because she is dead."

"Yes. Because she's already died once. Bambi-chan is now a zombie so it doesn't mattter."

"One more question before we go. Assuming that ones powers are linked to the Quincies soul, then it would be taken if the soul is absorbed back into Juhabach."

"Mmm... that would indicate that Bambietta is somehow still alive and that her soul isn't absorbed yet possibly. Some people refer to zombies as a stage between life and death, something that is neither but both and that can become either with the right skill." Urahara crossed his arms. "This also said... if its only part of the soul that gets absorbed, then that would mean in Bambietta's case that her powers aren't linked to Juhabach."

"But wouldn't Gigi had to have known that?"

"Very likely."

"Gigi Meanie-chan Head-chan jealous of Bambi-chan?" Maru-chan piped up.

"Very likely." Urahara nodded his head.

"Mr. Bear..."

"What. Do you have to go to the bathroom?"

"No... Maru-chan has to go to bed now."

"Then go to bed."

"Maru-chan is thinking Maru-chan want a teddy bear to go to bed with him."

"What kid... wait, no." Kon watched as the child reached up and picked him up, hugging him to his chest before sliding off the chair, leaving a sticky lolipop on the desk as well as two pom-poms. "Help!"

"Night mister funny hat man." Maru-chan began to walk away."

"Good night Maru-chan. I added a music box to Mr. Bear for you. Enjoy!"

Kon began to cry.


End file.
